At the end of the ad, Mr. Gardner says, "This isn't about politics. It's about family, and how we as people treat one another." Earlier, he said, "Marriage is too precious a thing not to share."

I don't know how much to say about this, because I don't want to take away from Mr. Gardner's message. This ad shows a deep, powerful truth about the humanity and the suffering of individuals, and the incredible power people have to love. When that kind of message shows up in a political ad, it's not hard to know which is the right side.

I was in Maine in 2009, when Maine had legalized gay marriage, affirming the equality of the citizens of Maine, regardless of their sexuality -- and when bigots led a campaign to repeal it, taking that legal equality away. I hope the bigotry that held back the rights of non-heterosexual people in Maine, and around the United States, doesn't last.